TIRANA, Aug 10 /ATA/ The head of the National Civil Protection Agency, Haki Çako, said today that the wildfire situation in the country remains difficult in the areas of Priska and Krujë, where aerial firefighting operations have also been concentrated.
Speaking to News 24, Çako said several small fire hotspots remained active in Krujë within the perimeter of the main blaze, while operational teams were working to extinguish them.
“After a long night of firefighting in Krujë, where the blaze caused no damage to homes, other properties or people, we have deployed teams to several other areas,” Çako said.
He said another fire had broken out at the entrance to Krujë, where firefighting efforts began yesterday and were raging on today.
According to Çako, around 1,500 police officers, more than 1,400 firefighters and over 1,000 military personnel have been deployed on the ground.
“The National Civil Emergency Centre operates 24/7 and assesses information in real time. It also coordinates the central police and emergency services,” he said.
Çako said Priska and Krujë were currently the two most critical areas, with aerial support also requested there.
The head of Civil Emergencies said Albania had not deemed it necessary so far to seek assistance from the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) in Brussels.
As for the causes of the fires, Çako said most were suspected to be linked to human activity, while some cases could have been accidental and others deliberate.
“Most of the fires are mainly caused by human activity, some accidentally and some as criminal acts driven by specific interests. These cases are investigated by the State Police,” Çako said.
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